Longevity Smoothie

I’ve been receiving a lot of requests lately to spill my secrets when it comes to healthy aging. My number one tip to turn back time has always been living from the inside out. That means a solid foundation beginning with nutrition. Fueling our body at the cellular level is always first and foremost. I began taking a deep dive into nutrition and healthy living decades ago. I’m open about the fact that I did not grow up in a family where we ever learned anything about nutrition. Heck, our daily salad was head lettuce drenched in gobs of 1000 Island dressing. Vegetables were green beans covered in a white sauce that I believe was a horrid combination of milk, flour and butter. My poor arteries! Oh my! As I grew older, in my early thirties, I began working with some amazing practitioners in the world of alternative medicine. I found out very quickly that what I put into my body made a world of difference on my energy levels. Over time, I began expanding my studies while getting trained in many different areas of natural healing and energy medicine. Let’s just say that I have a gigantic toolbox overflowing with a wide range of tools designed to heal from the inside out.

Back to nutrition. My daughter, Maddie who’s just about to walk down the aisle, likes to call me Benjamin Button. I love looking young at almost 61 years of age. Although far more important to me is how I feel. As we get older, the way we feel tends to take priority over how we look although I’m happy to be Benjamin Button for as long as possible! Taking care of my health has always been top of my list. Let’s just say that I’ve faced more than my share of serious health challenges and life threatening illnesses, so healthy living and nutrition have become an integral part of my daily lifestyle. I’ve learned to turn back time in many ways. With the help of science, we can measure age chronologically as well as physiologically or biologically. From an energetic level, my almost 61 years on this planet are far younger. I attribute much of that to what I put inside my body and my mind – what I eat, the thoughts I think, the attitude I have toward life and aging as well as making sure I exercise almost daily and keep my stress levels under control through regular meditation. 

If I were asked to share one thing and only one thing, my favorite healthy aging tip for longevity and turning back time, it would be my “Longevity Smoothie.” This recipe has morphed over time. It’s something I make several times a week. It fills me up and fuels me with a wide range of nutrients – from superfoods to omega 3’s to probiotics and prebiotics. It’s bursting with all the colors of the rainbow along with a healthy dose of antioxidants. I tend to tinker around with this recipe all the time, playing with variations on everything from the green powders I use to the oils as well as the liquids and fruits. I highly encourage you to make it your own. The key to creating a healthy lifestyle is making sure that you actually love the foods that you eat. I LOVE this smoothie. I could drink it every single day and never tire of it. Although, it’s really important to know that our bodies need us to change up the nutrients and superfoods. Like anything else, our bodies adapt to nutrients. I’ll share some recommendations to change up the Superfoods, green powders, oils, etc. to make different variations.

I love my Vitamix. I’ve had one for decades. I’ve only had to replace mine once after 1000’s of uses. I have tried other blenders. I’ve scrapped every one and always come back to my Vitamix. I cannot recommend it highly enough! If you don’t have one, I would say it’s an investment you might want to consider. The return on this investment has been truly priceless! 

Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients to Make 1 Large Longevity Smoothie or 2 Smaller Smoothies to Share: 

1 ½ – 2 Cups Plain organic Kefir (I like Lifeway and Maple Hill – you can substitute plain organic yogurt)

2 cups Organic Spinach PreWashed and Dried 

2 cups of Frozen Fruit – I love Mango and Pineapple

Coconut Water to taste

2 Tablespoons Organic Chia Seeds pre-soaked in Coconut Water (I keep a small container in the fridge with about a half cup of Chia Seeds that I’ve soaked in coconut water – just enough to cover the seeds)

1 Scoop of Green Superfood Powder (I love Green Vibrance, Amazing Grass and Garden of Life) 

2 Tbsp Organic Flaxseed Oil (I love Trader Joe’s and Udo’s!)

Smoothie Instructions:

  1. Pour Kefir into Vitamix.
  2. Add Spinach. (I love Trader Joe’s organic Prewashed)
  3. Add Frozen Fruit. (I love Trader Joe’s mango and pineapple)
  4. Cover With Coconut Water – I usually add more. It really depends if you like a thicker smoothie. Use to your personal preference. Any brand will do. Once again, I love Trader Joe’s for it’s price. 
  5. Add the pre-soaked Chia Seeds. (I love Garden of Life but any brand will do)
  6. Blend on medium high. Be sure to cover the Blender first!
  7. Once blended, add in the Scoop of Green Powder and Blend again.
  8. Add in Flaxseed Oil.
  9. Blend until all ingredients are well incorporated.
  10. Pour into a Mason Jar or large glass and Enjoy!

That’s it! This literally takes me about 5 minutes. If you aren’t using the smoothie all at once, be sure to cover it and store it in the fridge. To enjoy later, just add more frozen fruit and a bit more liquid. It is loaded with antioxidants which dissipate over time and when exposed to air, so be sure to cover! 

Here are my favorite variations:

There are all kinds of wonderful organic oils out there. I love heading to the refrigerated section at Whole Foods to play around with the oils I use. A favorite of mine is Udo’s Oil as it’s a blend of several different healthy omega oils. Feel free to experiment to vary the oils that you use. 

You can substitute flax seeds for the chia seeds. You can either soak the seeds or grind them in a nut grinder before adding to the smoothie.

Feel free to play around with the fruits. I prefer frozen fruit because I love the consistency. Of course, you can use any fresh fruit as well. Frozen bananas are great. When I use berries, I like to choose organics. I don’t spend the money on organic frozen fruit if it has a hard exterior shell like mangos and pineapple. If it’s part of the “dirty dozen” like blueberries or strawberries, I highly recommend going for organic as it will contain far more pesticides. 

When it comes to green powders and superfoods, there are many wonderful options. It’s really good to alternate the ones you choose on a regular basis so your body doesn’t get used to the ingredients. It’s good to keep tricking or surprising your body. Some of the superfoods like Green Vibrance include just about everything like probiotics and prebiotics. Be sure to check to see what ingredients your favorite green powders include. If they don’t list probiotics and prebiotics on the label, it’s a good idea to add these with a separate supplement. We are only as healthy as the nutrients we absorb. The better our digestion, the more likely we are to absorb all the goodies in this smoothie so they get into our cells! 

Cheers Beauties! To Your Health! Stay tuned for lots more longevity secrets and healthy ways to age gracefully from the inside out. Happy cells and Happy hearts make for a Happy life. I have lots more secrets to share. Please let me know in the comments anything you would like me to share with you! Feel free to send me an email too at Catherine@catherinegraceo.com. I love hearing from you!

2 comments

Reply

I don’t think I realized I should cover it if we put it in the fridge. There have been times we save some for later, so good to know.
XOXO
Jodie
http://www.jtouchofstyle.com

Reply

So many things to know!

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